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Gust of 50 mph in D.C. marks a warm and windy Saturday

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Gust of 50 mph in D.C. marks a warm and windy Saturday


Wind asserted itself in the District on Saturday by throbbing in the ears, raising whitecaps on the Potomac River and setting twigs, branches and leaves into frenzied tossing, fluttering and nodding.

On Friday, the wind gusted up to 49 mph, but Saturday provided a more memorably breezy achievement by producing a gust of 50 mph.

That gust from the northwest, and the one or more gusts of 50 mph on Feb. 28, were the strongest measured in the District this year.

On the Potomac River, often a picture of placidity, the wind whipped the waters into whitecaps, a common sign of aquatic storminess.

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From time to time, the crests of these wavelets rose high enough to topple forward with a splash of foaming white drops.

As of 5 p.m. the day’s peak sustained wind whistled from the northwest at 31 mph. As of that hour, the day’s wind averaged 19 mph overall, which seemed substantial.

It suggested that on Saturday, the mass movement of our air was no atmospheric fad or matter of a single moment.

Depending on hats, hair and hearing, it provided a sonic accompaniment to outdoor activities, humming in ears or throbbing or even whining or wailing.

Treetops seemed to nod in fatalistic acknowledgment of the wind’s force. Branches shook in what sometimes could be interpreted as surly acquiescence to the will of the wind.

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On the branches, twigs quivered and each individual leaf gave its own vibrating response, twisting on its stem.

Aside from its windiness, Saturday seemed a pleasantly warm spring day of the sort that might be expected in Washington in the middle of April.

The high temperature of 68 degrees was one degree above the average high of 67 for the date in Washington on the 13th of April.

Plenty of blue sky marked the afternoon. A random assortment of white clouds, of irregular shapes and many sizes, mostly small, seemed to sail at a leisurely pace in the sea of blue.

At least momentarily, they appeared to be high enough or distant enough to be independent of the furious force of the wind.

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DC leaders considering transit options for new RFK Stadium

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DC leaders considering transit options for new RFK Stadium


The Commanders are set to build a new stadium in D.C., and the debate over how fans will get to and from games is happening right now. On Wednesday, city leaders will join Metro and the Washington Commanders to talk stadium transit.



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D.C. Police Chief manipulated crime data; new House Oversight report

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D.C. Police Chief manipulated crime data; new House Oversight report


A new report from the House Oversight Committee alleges former D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith pressured officers to manipulate crime data. The committee released the report on Sunday, less than a week after Smith announced she was stepping down.

You’re lulling people into this false sense of security. They might go places they wouldn’t ordinarily go. They might do things they wouldn’t ordinarily do,” said Betsy Brantner Smith, spokesperson for the National Police Association.

Included in the report were transcribed interviews with the commanders of all seven D.C. patrol districts and the former commander currently on suspended leave. One was asked, “Over the last few years, has there been any internal pressure to simply bring down crime statistics?” Their response, “Yes, I mean extremethere’s always been pressure to keep crime down, but the focus on statistics… has come in with this current administration.”

Every single person who lives, works, or visits the District of Columbia deserves a safe city, yet it’s now clear the American people were deliberately kept in the dark about the true crime rates in our nation’s capital,” House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer (R-KY) said in a statement.

“They are going to have to regain the public trust. Again, this is a huge integrity issue,” Brantner Smith said.

Among the reports findings, Smith’s alleged pressured campaign against staff led to inaccurate crime data. Smith punished or removed officers for reporting accurate crime numbers. Smith fostered a toxic culture and President Trump’s federal law enforcement surge in D.C. is working.

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While Smith has not yet publicly responded to the report, she’s previously denied allegations of manipulating crime data, saying the investigation did not play a factor into her decision to step down at the end of the year.

My decision was not factored into anything with respect to, other than the fact that it’s time. I’ve had 28 years in law enforcement. I’ve had some time to think with my family,” Smith said earlier this month.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser also released a statement Monday, writing in part that “the interim report betrays its bias from the outset, admitting that it was rushed to release.”

According to crime stats from the Metropolitan Police Department, since the federal law enforcement surge started in August, total violent crime is down 26%. Homicides are down 12% and carjackings 37%.



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National Menorah Lighting in DC dedicated to Bondi Beach victims

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National Menorah Lighting in DC dedicated to Bondi Beach victims


The first candle lit on the National Menorah near the White House in Washington, D.C., marked the first night of Hanukkah — and solemnly honored victims of the Bondi Beach shooting.

The National Menorah Lighting was held Sunday night, hours after gunmen opened fire on a crowd celebrating the beginning of Hanukkah at Australia’s iconic Bondi Beach. Fifteen people were killed, including a 10-year-old girl, a rabbi and a Holocaust survivor, and over three dozen others were being treated at hospitals.

Authorities in Australia said it was a terrorist attack targeting Jewish people.

Organizers behind the National Menorah Lighting said the news from Australia, along with the bitter cold, forced them to consider whether or not to hold the annual event.

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After consulting with local law enforcement, National Menorah Lighting organizers decided to hold the event and honor the victims.

Several D.C.-area police departments issued statements confirming there are no known threats to local communities, but are monitoring just in case.

Montgomery County Executive Mark Elrich condemned the attack and said community safety is a priority.

“Acts of antisemitism, especially those meant to intimidate families and communities during moments of gathering and celebration, must be called out clearly and condemned without hesitation,” Elrich said. “I have heard directly from members of Montgomery County’s Jewish community who are shaken and concerned, and I want them to know that their safety is a priority.”

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